Unemployment and the re-election strategy of President Obama...

[steve2470]

I voted for President Obama in 2008. I plan to vote for him again in 2012. I'm sure 99% of us at DU will vote for him, no matter what the unemployment rate is. I am assuming, of course, that he is our party's candidate for President.

All that being said, the rest of the non-Democratic electorate will NOT automatically vote for him if unemployment is unacceptably high.

Yes, the unemployment rate is only one of many factors that shape voter choice but it is a huge factor, no doubt. I think I read no President has been re-elected if unemployment was over 7.4%. Is that accurate ?

If I were President Obama, I would be spending huge amounts of energy to get WPA-style stimulative projects enacted. Yes, they may go down in flames in the Teabagger-corrupted Congress, but at least I could claim honestly I tried.

Please help me understand President Obama. I really don't get it. I WANT him re-elected but wow....I don't get his strategy at all.

Thanks for your time.

[quinnox]

1. yes, and one reason I think Obama is in danger of losing next year

There is a lot of political spin used on the unemployment numbers to make it seem better than it is or obscure the facts, but I found a site that simply gives the real number reported and a graph to show the trend.

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate


Its 9.2% right now and it has been trending badly after a slight recovery a few months ago.

[MsKandice01]

2. "Yes, they may go down in flames..."

Correction: They WILL go down in flames. The American people will want results. "I tried" doesn't exactly cut it.

[Dr Fate]

14. Exactly. Meanwhile, centrism & compromise is getting us the results voters want.

It certainly WILL go down in flames if Obama tries any Liberal business- centrists and Republcians will honor the wishes of the American people and see to that.

Obama should not take any chances with things that WILL go down in flames- no, he should continue SOARING on the current centrist course.

Centrism is not about "trying"- it's about getting things done. Obama is getting it done.

[RKP5637]

3. Good question, I sure don't understand his strategies other than IMO he

is convinced trickle down voodoo economics is the great solution, and his ears hear only those of banksters, wall street and major corporations. We're in the 21st century in a real mess hoping 20th century solutions will fix everything.

I would take one of those 20th century solutions, WPA-style stimulative projects, and give it a try. IMO we're going to be treading water the way we are, jobs aren't coming back for all the reasons discussed a zillion times already on DU. We need innovative solutions, not the same old sh** over and over again.

[steve2470]

5. I think you hit the nail on the head

I think he's hoping for a minor miracle that unemployment, via voodoo economics and in defiance of Hoover/1937 precedents, will magically be below that critical threshold of 7.4% or that voters will be repulsed by the GOP candidate (probably Romney at this point) or that voters will somehow forgive him.

I think his thinking is very flawed, if that's what he thinks. Even the BEST projections I've seen say 8% by November 2012. FDR was re-elected, I just remembered, with unemployment far above 7.4% but his situation was totally different than Obama's.

I hate to say this, but unless he radically changes course, I think he's toast in 2012. The electorate will go for "the new person", just as they rejected the Republican brand in 2008 partially because of the bad economy.

[chill_wind]

4. One thing that's NOT going to work

is scoffing or blowing if off as a re-election issue:

The average American does not view the economy through the prism of GDP or unemployment rates or even monthly jobs numbers,” Plouffe said. “People won’t vote based on the unemployment rate, they’re going to vote based on: ‘How do I feel about my own situation? Do I believe the president makes decisions based on me and my family?’”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-07/unemployment-rate-won-t-hobble-re-election-david-plouffe-says.html

[rsmith6621]

7. So Plouffe Is Basically Saying.....

I hope people feel good about their situation or Plouffe wont feel good about his future situation.

[chill_wind]

15. Sounds about right. Because what he isn't saying

is what the plans are for remedying high rates of unemployment in an austerity economy.

So yeah. He's saying you're going to have to keep loving your sugar-coated Satan sandwich and side of peas, because that's all there is in the pantry.

[FiveGoodMen]

6. Obama's pushing an agenda for the very rich

They don't care which party wins as long as they get all the money and power.

He doesn't need to get re-elected; he's got money.

I think the notion that he's doing ANYTHING to woo independent voters and win in 2012 is just dead wrong.

His success will be measured -- by those with the real power -- in terms of how much he changes the US into a right-wing wet-dream.

And they've got plenty more front men to put into the Oval Office once Obama's out.

[RKP5637]

11. Yep, he serves his masters, and most of us aren't part of that group. Anymore

I really believe it's a fool's fallacy to think "we the people" are in control of this country. Under the New America, we just aren't part of the equation. And the highly monied powerful will ensure whichever candidate is promoted to best serve their interest, and I do question the integrity of the voting system.

[peace frog]

18. Under the New America, not only are we not part of the equation

we are an expensive nuisance to the ruling class. In their view we consume too many of their resources and make too many annoying demands of their time and attention. We are a luxury they believe has outlived its useful life and we need to be disposed of, one way or another. Easy to accomplish slowly over time by letting attrition take its natural course when we can no longer afford basic life necessities and the social safety net has been reduced to nothing.

[RKP5637]

20. That is the bottom line, isn't it. It's the execution of masses of people the

clean way. If anyone is left to write history in the future at least this portion of the 21st century and I fear the next decade plus are going to go down as very ugly times.

[Coyote_Bandit]

8. I'm not convinced that

being re-elected is a priority to Obama.

[Better Believe It]

9. President Obama is clearly opposed to WPA-style projects.

"If I were President Obama, I would be spending huge amounts of energy to get WPA-style stimulative projects enacted."

I agree with you and also favor such massive useful public works projects that can put millions back to work.

But, President Obama has made it absolutely clear that he is opposed to such projects.

President Obama: "I've never believed that government's role is to create jobs or prosperity"

Read President Obama's statement and more information at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=1641126&mesg_id=1641145

[steve2470]

10. Thanks for that

Sadly, I think that philosophy makes him a one-term President.

[RKP5637]

12. The way he's handling this in 2012 we well might see a republican win. Some people

are just going to say enough of this for four years, and will switch brands just for a major difference. And they will get that, but I doubt it will be very pleasant for them. OK, I'll say this, and I'm not a conspiracy type person, but I often wonder about the real power and force behind all of the crap going on and the ultimate agenda.

[Better Believe It]

13. I agree. It won't be pleasant at all.

[peace frog]

19. I wonder about it too

There is so much going on that we don't know and never will know.

[RKP5637]

22. Scary, isn't it. We get a glimmer of it, then MSM spins it, the disinformation

specialists distort it, then it's peppered with lies, and then we pick what's left trying to figure our WTF is going on. I wish George Carlin was still around, this would have been great material for him.

[loyalsister]

21. What was the question exactly?

It certainly wasn't a response to "Would you support a program similar to, say building Hoover Damn or creating an interstate highway?
How about high speed rail?
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/01/28/president-obama-delivers-american-high-speed-rail

Suppose he had an opportunity to expand it across the country? Get someone to ask him that question.
I would love to see that named after Ronald Reagan like Hoover Damn- named after the guy whose policies provided the workforce.

[oldlib]

16. I hope that he is re-elected.

His behavior, as a Democrat is questionable, however, and hopefully he will provide us liberals with a reason to support him for another term. I like him, because he is the smartest man in politics,and no one can come close.

[Vincardog]

17. His behavior is Reptilian republican. He is in NO WAY Liberal. I do not see the benefit in his

reelection. When he has sold out and compromised unnecessarily at every turn; does anyone believe he will make the correct choice when it comes to the SCOTUS?
Judging by his ACTIONS I say no.

[EFerrari]

23. I don't understand this deal in the context of his re-election.

But like so many things, I can only conclude that he wants what he is working for.